Nightbloom by Juliette Cross Read Free Book Online Page A

my way toward her, I saw Corbin Rowanflame hanging with some friends at the bar. My heart stopped. One of them was him .
    As if he sensed my presence, Paxon found me. Clayton ambled toward the bar while I stood frozen to the spot. My pulse sped up with nothing more than a look from the man, but an unwavering, intense, heated look will do that to a girl. I found Sorcha on a couch belting out her throaty laugh. Lifting my chin, I strode forward and pretended my knees weren’t shaking as he watched me cross the room to Sorcha.
    “Hey, girl!” she screamed, opening her arms for a hug.
    “Hey.”
    I squished in between her and the Morgon.
    “What happened to you? You look like your grandmother just died.”
    “Nothing.” I shook my head, forcing a fake smile and glancing at the pretty Morgon on my other side.
    “Oh, Willow, this is Ella Barrow. The pretty one who dates the prick I keep telling you about.”
    “Sorcha,” I said in my warning tone, though my heart just wasn’t in it.
    “Hi,” said Willow. “You want a drink?” She waved a buxom cocktail waitress over.
    The waitress trudged toward us, pasting a fake smile on her face. Man, did I know how that felt.
    “Hello. What can I get you?”
    “Hi, Deva.” Willow pointed at her glass. “I’d like another one of these. What is it again, Sorcha?”
    “Brevette on the rocks. I’d like one, too. Just water for my friend.”
    The waitress with dark-green wings snubbed her nose at me and prissed off.
    “What’s wrong with her?” I asked.
    Sorcha laughed. “Oh, that bitch hates me. I think she had a thing for Lorian before I came along, and she somehow thought she had a chance with him. As if.”
    Willow laughed, a pretty, tinkling sound. “She probably sensed you were his mate, and it pissed her off.”
    I raised a brow. “How do you mean she sensed Sorcha was Lorian’s mate?”
    Willow looked puzzled.
    Sorcha sighed. “I’ll explain it. My friend is a little uneducated about Morgon gifts.”
    Willow grinned. “So were you once.”
    She arched a brow seductively. “Not anymore. Ella, it’s just that Morgon men have some sort of sixth sense, something of the dragon in them that helps them find their one mate.”
    “But, how? I don’t understand.”
    “It’s the soulfire.” Willow sipped her drink, her eyes alight with wonder. “This is a mystery even for Morgon women. We don’t have this ability. Soulfire builds within the man as soon as he meets her or as soon as the dragon recognizes her as his own. It continues to grow stronger, burning in his core, until his mate accepts him so he can release the elixir into her.”
    I shifted in my seat to face Willow better. “And then the heartbinding.”
    She nodded with a smile.
    “And damn if it isn’t the hottest thing ever.” Sorcha winked. “Lorian’s already sex-on-a-stick. Soulfire just makes him downright unfair. I can’t ever resist him.”
    I rolled my eyes. “Ugh. Too much information. No need to brag about your amazing sex life.”
    “Can’t help it.”
    “Where’s Lorian tonight, anyway?”
    “Something work-related with his father. I wanted to check things out here and see if our place was still hopping.”
    “It’s still hopping.” Willow laughed, clinking her nearly empty glass to Sorcha’s.
    “Where’s Clayton?” asked Sorcha.
    “Oh, he’s over there.” I waved my hand.
    “Well, come on. Let’s join the men and have some real fun.”
    She linked her arm with mine, hauled me up, and led the way. With every step I took toward him , adrenaline pumped through my veins, my blood coursing faster. The group of men stirred at our approach, swiveling their attention in our direction.
    “Hey, Clayton.” Sorcha clapped him on the back. I knew she was being overly civil to him because she made me a promise to do so. At the moment, I couldn’t care less after the way he had treated me tonight.
    He turned and gave her one of his dimpled grins. “Hi, beautiful. You slumming